A Life Changed by a Lucky Ticket
An Australian man has shared his incredible story of quitting his job after winning a life-changing lottery prize. The Tasmanian resident was one of the seven lucky individuals who won the top prize in the TattsLotto draw held on Saturday. Each of these winners received a staggering $913,127, which completely transformed their lives.
The winner, who had already been considering retirement, was still in disbelief when he received a call from an official at The Lott. “I’m excellent. I’ve already resigned from work,” he said, expressing his excitement. He added that the win accelerated their plans for retirement and even allowed them to upgrade their caravan for an upcoming road trip.
“We’ve been planning this trip for a while, and now we can make it even better,” he explained. The couple also mentioned they would be meeting with a financial planner to ensure they could enjoy their newfound wealth and live comfortably.
As soon as he realized they had won, he looked at his wife across the table and declared, “I’m not going to work anymore.” At first, she thought he was joking, but the reality of the situation quickly sank in. “It’s incredible. It just means we don’t have to worry anymore.”
An Unclaimed Prize That’s Getting Closer to Expiry
Meanwhile, another lucky Australian is still unaware they’ve won a significant amount of money. A Gold Coast local or visitor holds the ticket for the $670,000 Saturday Gold Lotto prize, which remains unclaimed. This particular winning entry is the oldest unclaimed lottery prize in Australia and must be claimed by 11 August 2025.
The winning ticket was part of the six division one entries in Saturday Gold Lotto draw 3867, which took place on 11 August 2018. The total prize for this win was $671,513. In Queensland, winners have up to seven years from the draw date to claim their prize, which means the deadline is fast approaching.
The ticket was purchased at Golden Lucky News, located at 1-29 Millaroo Dr, Helensvale. The store’s owner, Melanie Zhi, expressed hope that the mystery winner would check their ticket and come forward before the deadline. “It’s hard to believe the division one winner still hasn’t come forward after all these years,” she said. “We’re really hoping they’ll check their ticket and finally claim their prize.”
Zhi noted that while most of their customers are locals, the store also attracts visitors from various regions, including New South Wales. “Honestly, the winner could be anyone,” she added. She took over the outlet late last year and would love to see the mystery winner come forward. “What a moment that would be.”
A Final Reminder to Check Your Tickets
With less than a month left to claim the prize, a spokesperson from The Lott, Anna Hobdell, urged players in the area to check their tickets. “This is a great reminder to all players to register their tickets to a player card or online account,” she said. If the winner had registered their ticket with The Lott Members Club, they would have already claimed their prize seven years ago.
For those who lost their tickets or need to report a damaged one, a Lost or Damaged Ticket Search Form must be completed. If someone discovers they have the winning ticket, they should contact The Lott immediately at 131 868 to begin the claiming process.
The winning numbers for Saturday Gold Lotto draw 3867 were 1, 23, 8, 15, 44, 20, with supplementary numbers 11 and 18. The odds of winning the division one prize are just 1 in 62.8 million.
If gambling stops being fun or becomes a problem, support is available through Gambling Help Online or by calling 1800 858 858.
